


Brave Little Girl

by Yunalystelle



Category: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:21:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24676021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunalystelle/pseuds/Yunalystelle
Summary: Jowd and family have gone to the beach. While Alma and Cabanela take to the sea, Jowd spends some quality time with his daughter.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Brave Little Girl

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Siver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/gifts).



> Treat fic for Siver, written for fyeahghosttrick's Ghost Swap exchange.

Even in the shade of the parasol, fanned by a light breeze, it felt pleasantly warm. Lying down on a beach towel, cap partially covering his closed eyes, listening to the sound of waves crashing onto sand, Jowd was filled with contentment. He rarely got the chance to just lie down and bask in the sunny weather like this. Even better, he had his family here with him, but of course. It wouldn't be the same without them. Every moment he shared with them was so utterly precious and he never forgot that. 

"Jowd?" At the sound of his name, he lifted his cap and blinked against the sudden light, just able to make out someone standing over him. Alma was hunched over, resting her hands on her knees. A gentle breeze lightly tugged at her purple locks, blowing them around her shoulders. He blinked, focusing his eyes on her. 

"Mm? What is it?" 

"Cabanela and I are going for a swim. I suppose you don't feel like joining us?"

Jowd responded with a dry laugh. "What do you think?" 

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Alma straightened herself. "Well, just letting you know. You can keep an eye on Kamila while we're gone."

"Sure. Enjoy your swim." Jowd sat up and watched Alma's and Cabanela's figures get smaller as they walked away. The sea itself looked calm, its deep blue surface glittering vividly in the light of the sun, but that dazzling exterior only served to remind him of the empty, endless depths beneath. 

Tearing his gaze from the sea, he turned his attention to Kamila, who was sitting a few feet away and working laboriously on a sandcastle. From where he was, it was certainly looking pretty elaborate and he wouldn't expect any less from his daughter. Deciding to get a better look, Jowd rose up and walked over to join her.

"Wow." Looking up close, Jowd was awed by how magnificent the sandcastle looked, with several pointed turrets clustered together. A long pathway ran down from the topmost tower, spiralling down to where it met the gate in the walls of the sandcastle. Outside of the wall, a deep moat had been dug into the sand with a bridge spanning the gap. "That's the most impressive sandcastle I've ever seen."

"You think so?" Kamila peeped up at him from beneath the brim of her straw hat. She was picking up damp sand and packing it into the wall, fortifying the castle's defences. "It's a shame I don't have a flag for the castle, but I suppose it's good enough."

"You've done a fantastic job." To think Kamila could have built such a majestic sandcastle in such a short time, she really was so skilled with her hands. If only they had thought to bring a camera with them. Jowd sat down. "Are you going to make anything else?"

"I don't know yet." Kamila's brow furrowed as she thought about it. "Maybe I could do something like an animal, or a shellfish. Maybe it could be the castle's guardian."

"That's a good idea. So what are you thinking of, a big fire breathing dragon?"

Kamila put a hand to her cheek. "I don't know. I don't think I would be able to make the wings stay on. Sand breaks easily, you know? It should be something simple, like, maybe a giant crab."

"Mmm, a giant crab." Jowd smiled. "Hopefully the people living in the castle don't get hungry and decide to make themselves crab sandwiches."

Kamila's face fell. "Would they really do that to the nice crab who's supposed to be guarding the castle?"

"Don't worry, they wouldn't even be able to break such a huge shell in the first place. The crab would be fine."

"But the crab would be very angry if the people tried to kill it. It might smash down the walls and come after them."

"Well, it would serve them right, wouldn't it?" Jowd chuckled. "Maybe it could be a tortoise or a turtle. They are nice, docile creatures. They would just withdraw into their shell and then act as if nothing had happened. I do hear turtle soup is a delicacy though."

"Huh. Is it?" Kamila's eyes widened. "But wait, if it just hides in its shell and doesn't care what's going on, then it's no good as a guardian, is it?"

"Hmm, I suppose not." Jowd lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "Anyway, it could be anything you want, couldn't it? You could make up some fictional animal. I doubt the people of the castle have to worry anyway, that wall looks quite strong and that's a very deep moat you have there."

"There's alligators in the moat. Big, scary alligators. They will snap up anyone who tries to cross the bridge without permission. And nobody will be able to try and eat them either. Wait, do people eat alligators?"

"In some countries, yes."

"I see. But it would be very dangerous, wouldn't it?" Kamila slapped more sand against the wall of the castle. "I don't think the people in the castle would try it." She put her hands on her knees and sighed. "All that talking about food has made me start to feel hungry."

"Has it?" Jowd was beginning to feel a bit peckish himself too. Now he really fancied a crab sandwich, but that wasn't exactly feasible at this point. "There's an ice cream van nearby, would you like me to get you something?"

"Yeah!" Kamila beamed. "Can I have a whipped ice cream cone with a Flake, please?"

"Sure." Jowd picked up a bag of coins and made his way to the ice cream van, where he purchased two ice cream cones. When he returned, Kamila was sitting on one of the blankets in the shade. "Here you go," he said, handing her a cone before sitting next to her. "Had enough of playing in the sand?"

"It's hot." Kamila reached up to wipe sweat from her sticky brow. "I'm a bit tired of it." She lapped at the white spiral of ice cream. "Mm."

"Ice cream is the best thing after you've been sitting in the sun on a hot day, isn't it?" Jowd took a bite of ice cream and swallowed. It was wonderfully cold and silky smooth as it slid down his throat.

"Uh huh." Kamila nodded eagerly. She quietly consumed her ice cream, occasionally taking out the Flake and biting chunks off it along with globs of ice cream. "Mom and Uncle Cabanela are still swimming, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Jowd scanned the sea with his gaze, eventually spotting a flash of purple with a blob of brown not far behind it. "Look, there they are."

Following the direction of Jowd's pointed arm, Kamila soon spotted them. "Oh, I can see them now." She shoved the remnants of the cone into her mouth and swallowed, wiping the sticky traces of ice cream from her mouth.

"You didn't want to go into the sea with them, did you?" Of course, Jowd knew well enough that Kamila couldn't swim, and she had never really shown any interest in learning so far. Seeing Kamila shake her head, he continued. "I'm not really that fond of the sea either."

"I can't even swim anyway." Kamila pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Can you?"

"Well, sure, I've swam in pools before. It's just the sea I'm not so keen on. It's very rough, you know, all those waves. Not really the same as being in a pool."

"Hmm." Kamila rested her chin on her knees. "I think the sea is kind of scary."

Jowd glanced at her, his brow furrowing in mild concern. Could this sentiment of hers be the result of experiences in another timeline? It was hard to say. As a baby, Kamila hadn't minded being taken into the sea and trips to the beach had been so few that he wasn't sure when this change might have taken place. Anyway, it wasn't so strange that she might have developed an aversion to the sea as she grew up, he supposed. "Why do you think so?"

"The sea is huge, and it's so deep and so dark, once you go deep enough, you can't even see the sunlight anymore." Kamila met Jowd's gaze, seeming slightly disturbed. "It just kind of scares me a bit. If you were lost in the sea, nobody would be able to find you."

Jowd pulled his gaze from her, looking back at the sea. "Yes, it does sound quite scary when you put it that way. But you don't need to be scared. You've got me, haven't you?" 

"Huh? Yeah, I guess I do, don't I?" The anxiety vanished from Kamila's face, replaced by a smile. "You'll always come and save me whenever I'm in trouble, right, Dad?"

"Of course I will." Jowd glanced at her, returning the smile. He returned to staring at the sea. "Say, why don't we go for a paddle in the sea?"

"Huh?" Kamila sounded startled by the suggestion. Jowd looked at her, seeing her brow furrowed with worry.

"Don't worry, our feet will be on the ground the whole time, and I'll hold your hand. Let's give it a try, shall we? I quite fancy a dip myself. How about it?" Jowd stood up, offering his hand.

Kamila looked at him uncertainly for a few seconds then nodded, taking his hand. He helped her to her feet and they set off toward the sea.

"Well then," Jowd said, as their feet touched the wet sand just mere feet from the receding tide. "Here we go. Are you ready?"

Kamila took a deep breath and nodded. "Uh-huh."

The tide came back in, lapping around their ankles. They started forward, matching their steps and gradually moving further into the sea. Jowd kept an eye on Kamila. Her hand was tightly gripping his and she had a tense look in her face.

"That's it, you're doing great." Jowd kept taking slow, cautious steps forward, ensuring that Kamila took another step before he did. He didn't want to rush her. Eventually, they were deep enough that the water was above her waist. "Well done, you're doing brilliantly."

"I'm really... in the sea." There was a slight wobble to Kamila's voice. She looked up at him. "I'm trying really hard not to be scared."

"And you're doing great." Jowd flashed her an encouraging smile. "You are a very brave little girl."

"Hey!" Cabanela's voice floated toward them on the breeze. Jowd looked over and caught sight of him bobbing up and down in the water with Alma at his side. "You joinin' us for a swim after all, baby?"

"Actually, we're just having a little paddle, that's all," Jowd called back. "Kamila is being very brave."

"Well done, Kamila!" Alma called out.

"You're doin' great, baby, keep it up!"

Kamila gazed in their direction, a look of determination forming on her face. "I'm going to try walking by myself." Jowd relaxed his grip and she slowly extracted her hand from his before taking a hesitant step forward. Then she took another, and another, moving forward with slow, careful steps. Jowd kept going as well, keeping his steps in sync with hers.

Watching his daughter brave the sea, Jowd felt a swell of pride inside of him. The sea made him feel uneasy enough but his fear was probably nothing compared to Kamila's and yet here she was, walking in the sea. She really was such a determined and brave young girl. 

The water had risen up to Kamila's chest when she stopped abruptly and shook her head. "I... I don't want to go any further... I can't..." She clung to her father, her breath coming out in shaky gasps.

"Don't worry about it, you've done so well already." Jowd took her hand in his and waved at Alma and Cabanela. "We're going back now."

With the sound of clapping hands and exclaimed words of praise behind them, Jowd and Kamila went back the way they came. 

"Ahh." Jowd sighed as they sank down onto the towels. "What a relief it is to be back on dry land, eh?" He picked up a couple of dry towels, tossing one to Kamila and using the other to start drying himself off.

Kamila used the towel to rub her body dry before wrapping herself up in it. She scooted closer to Jowd and leaned into him. Jowd put an arm around her body, enfolding her in a hug. "The sea is really big. It was pretty scary standing in the water."

"It was, wasn't it?"

"But you were with me so I was able to do it."

"You really are such a brave and strong little girl." Jowd kissed the top of her head. "I'm very proud of you."

"You are?" Kamila raised her head.

"Of course."

A smile broke out on Kamila's face. "You know, I want to be super tough someday. So tough that I won't be afraid of anything."

"Well, good luck with that. I'll be rooting for you" Jowd studied his daughter's radiant face for a moment before speaking again. "But, you know, everyone has fears. It's normal. Even I have fears."

Kamila's mouth formed a circle. "Huh, really? Wait, are you afraid of the sea too?"

"Hmm, well, I wouldn't say that I'm afraid of the sea exactly. It does make me a bit uncomfortable though. I would rather avoid it if I can."

"Huh. But you were the one who suggested we go in there." Kamila thought about it for a moment. "Wait, was it because you wanted to get me in there?"

"That's right. I thought I'd help you face your fear. It worked, didn't it? You were able to walk in the sea."

Kamila nodded. "Thank you, Dad. It was scary, but I'm really glad I did it. Hmm, so you don't like going in the sea. What are some other fears you have?"

"Hmm." Jowd rubbed his chin, his brow creasing. "Let's see. Expensive bills. Having to clean up. Running out of ketchup."

"Dad." Kamila drew out the word as she spoke, her expression turning to one of mild frustration. "You're just being silly, aren't you?"

"Oh no, those are real fears." Jowd's face was completely straight with not the slightest hint of mirth as he looked at her. "I assure you."

"Okay." The tone of Kamila's voice suggested that she wasn't entirely convinced however. Tearing her gaze away, she looked to the sea. "Still, you're a detective so that means you have to be really tough, and Uncle Cabanela and Lynne too, right?"

"Yes."

"You're heroes, after all. So you have to be tough and cool. Like all those superheroes on TV." Kamila bunched up her fists. "So you can beat up all the bad guys."

Jowd chuckled softly. "Yes, just like them, though you're not going to find us wearing capes or jumping off tall buildings, I'm afraid."

"Right, it's not like you have superpowers. But even if you don't, you're all still pretty cool." Kamila crossed her arms and tilted her head. "I wonder why detectives don't wear capes though."

"Well, because we would look silly, wouldn't we?" Jowd thought for a moment about what it would be like going about his job wearing a cape. He imagined it would be quite a hassle. What if it got caught in something? Someone like Cabanela wouldn't have to worry though. 

"I guess so." Kamila leaned forward, putting her arms around her legs and using her knees to support her chin. "What about Uncle Cabanela though, he looks and acts pretty silly sometimes, doesn't he?"

Only sometimes? Now that was quite the understatement, Jowd thought as he shrugged. "Yeah, well, he doesn't really care."

A seagull cawed, fluttering down to land a few feet away. Kamila watched it waddle across the sand. "I don't think it's a bad thing anyway, he's a funny man and I think he's fine the way he is. Like, it would be so weird if he stopped dancing all the time. Don't you think so too, Dad?"

Jowd's lips cracked into a wry smile. "Yes, that would be very weird indeed." He couldn't help but be reminded of the time he thought Cabanela had changed. Oh, how wrong he had been. 

Someone came walking along the beach, their presence startling the seagull. Kamila shielded her eyes as she watched the seagull take flight, becoming a tiny speck in the sky. When it was done, she dropped her hand and returned to staring at the sea. "The superheroes on TV never get scared or worried about anything. They always catch the bad guys in the end. But it's different in real life, isn't it?"

Jowd gazed at her in silent contemplation. It would be nice to spin a lie, let her believe life was that simple, but she wasn't that naive. Why, one of these days, she might even realise something was strange about their eternal kitten. "Oh, it's very different. Things don't always go the way you want them to."

"You all must have moments when you get sad or scared, and maybe you don't always get the bad guys, but you're still out there fighting for justice." Kamila turned her head, showing him a smile. "I think that makes you all even cooler than the superheroes on TV."

"Is that so?" Jowd let out a chuckle. "Thank you. I'm happy to hear such high praise from my daughter."

"Ah." Kamila let out an exclamation as she looked back to the sea. "Mom and Uncle Cabanela are coming back now. Gosh, they were swimming for ages."

Jowd looked up to see the two striding across the beach toward them. "Ah, here they come. I expect we'll be getting off home soon. Did you have a good time today?"

"Yeah. It was really fun." Kamila nodded eagerly. "Next time we come, I'll build an even bigger and better sandcastle, and it will have flags. And I'll go into the sea again, but only as long as you do too, so we'll definitely do that together, right?"

"Sure we will." Jowd patted Kamila's back. His feelings of unease toward the sea might not have changed, but he was willing to brave it if it helped his daughter in any way. Still, submarines were very definitely off limits and he doubted Kamila would ever express the desire to go on one. Well, he hoped so anyway.

"Okay, it's a promise, Dad!" Kamila declared, with a cheerful smile.

How heartening it felt to see that smile, Jowd thought, feeling a rush of warmth. Kamila's happiness was the most important thing after all. No matter what, he would always do his best to ensure that his little girl kept on smiling.


End file.
